Interchangeable wiring devices



Jan. 26, 1965 G. R. LAWSON INTERCHANGEABLE WIRING DEVICES Filed May 2, 1962 n 0 M W a L MR m s U 6 b5 mm 4- @MMr His Attorneg United States Patent 3,167,372 INTERCHANGEABLE WIRING DEVICES Gustaf R. Lawson, West Warwick, R.I., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed May 2, 1962, Ser. No. 191,935 3 Claims. ((11. 339-14) the device is locked thereon by one of several latching means. One such latching means is disclosed in Benander Patent No. 2,969,418, which is assigned to the same assignee as the present application, and consists of metal members which are bendable once the device is mounted on the bracket to lock the device in place on the bracket.

An object of the present invention is to provide an interchangeable line convenience outlet which will accommodate a grounding plug.

Another object of the invention is to provide an interchangeable line grounding outlet in which grounding contact with the mounting bracket is insured by bolt or screw pressure when the bracket itself is in mounted position.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification considered in conjunction with the drawing wherein FIG. 1 is a front view of a grounding convenience outlet in accordance with this invention;

FI 2 is a similar view of an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the outlet illustrated in FIG. 1;

, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the grounding contact of the FIG. 2 embodiment; and

FIG. 5 is a broken perspective view of the outlet of FIG. 2 positioned on a mounting bracket.

Briefly stated, in accordance with one of its aspects, the invention is directed to a grounding interchangeable outlet comprising a molded housing with interior partitions dividing the housing into two line contact compartments and one grounding contact compartment, contacts positioned in the line contact compartments, means for making line connections to these line contacts, a grounding contact positioned in the grounding contact compartment, a conducting strap connected to the grounding contact and extending exteriorly of the housing, an aperture in the strap positioned to be in alignment with a mounting bracket mounting aperture when the outlet is mounted on the bracket, a lug on the strap for extending through a bracket mounting aperture, and a molded cover for the housing, the cover defining apertures for the passage of contact prongs.

Referring to the dnawing, a housing of molded plastic material such as a phenolic has integrally molded partitions 11 and 12 (FIG. 3) on the interior dividing the housing into compartments to accommodate line contacts of the outlet are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and described in the following paragraph. The form shown in FIG. 4 corresponds in all respects to that shown in FIG. 3 except for alignment of the parts 23, 24 and 27 relative to the grounding contact 15. For this reason, these parts are 3,167,372 Patented Jan. 26, 1965 ICC labeled 23a, 24a, and 27a in FIG. 4, although as will be evident from the description which follows, the parts are essentially duplicates in all other respects.

As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the grounding contacts 15 include a base 18 which is mounted in grooves on the interior of the housing 10. The base 18 has a turned-down tab 19 which makes contact with the grounding prong of an attachment plug connected to the outlet. The base 18 also has a threaded aperture 21 for a terminal screw 22 the head of which is accessible from the exterior of the housing. A grounding strap 23 is connected to the grounding terminal 15 as by welding and extends exterio-rly of the housing 10. As shown specifically in FIG. 3, the strap 23 is provided as a first element and this first element is connected with the second and separate element 15 so that the two elements when so connected function as a unit to permit grounding current to be conducted from tab 19 to lug 27. Equivalent structure is evident in FIG. 4 except that the strap element 23a is seen to be a portion only of strap element 23 of FIG. 3, and the strap 23a is connected at a diiferent portion of grounding contact 15. The grounding contact portions 15 of both FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are seen to be the same. The strap 23 defines an aperture 24 which is positioned to be in alignment with a mounting aperture 25 of a mounting bracket 26 (FIG. 5). The grounding strap 23 is also equipped with a lug or car 27 which is bendable through the aperture 24 and over the rim of the aperture 25 of the mounting bracket 26. Thus, when the mounting bracket is in position, its mounting screw extending through the aperture 25 tightens against the lug 27 to insure strong grounding contact between the grounding strap 23 and mounting bracket 26. The aperture 24a and lug 27a of FIG. 4 can be seen to be the equivalent, in all respects other than alignment with grounding contact 15, of aperture 24 and lug 27 of FIG. 3.

The embodiment of FIG. 1 is used with a mounting bracket having two device-mounting apertures positioned longitudinally. The embodiment of FIG. 2 is for use with a mounting bracket having three device-mounting apertures having their long axes extending crosswise of the bracket. With this type of bracket, only the outlets in the end positions will have grounding straps in alignment with the mounting apertures of the bracket. The center device mounting aperture is then used for a non-grounding outlet or switch or pilot light.

Referring to FIG. 3, the positioning of the line contacts 13 and 14 .and grounding contact 15 in the housing 10 is followed by the positioning of two fiber insulating pieces 31. A closure piece 32 of molded plastic material having three apertures to accommodate the prongs of a grounding plug (not shown) is then positioned between the insulating panels 31 and the closure member 17 is placed over the housing. The closure member 17 includes T-shaped .tabs 33 which are bent into mating position with respect to the projections 16 of the housing 10 to hold all parts in position. The device is then ready for mounting on a mounting bracket 26 by means of hook tabs 34 of the closure member 17.

While the invention has been discussed with reference to preferred embodiments, it is obvious that there may be variations which fall within the true spirit of the invention. Therefore, the invention should be limited in scope only as may be necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A grounding interchangeable outlet comprising a molded housing integrally partitioned on the interior to divide said housing into two line contact compartments and one grounding contact compartment, contacts positioned in said line contact compartments; means for make mountingbrack'etmounting'ap'efture when said outlet is mounted on said bracket, a'lugron "said strap for extending through'a bracket mounting aperture, and a molded cover of contact prongs.

for said housing, saidcoveridefining apertures torpassag'e 5 changeable wiring outlets assembled ,in: a mounting bracket, each outlet having a grounding contact to ac- 'commodatea grounding prong;,a strap connected to said grounding contact and extending exteriorlyt of said out- 7 let, said strap defining an aperture'in' alignment with a I mounting aperture oftsaid'r'nountin g bracket,'and a lug on said strap bent through an aperture of said bracket and folded against said bracket.

2. In a' grounding interchangeable outletfagroundi'ng contact, a conducting strap connected to said contact and extending exteriorlyof saidfou'tlet, said strap'defining" an aperture positioned to align with the-mounting aperture of a mounting bracket on' 'which said outlet is mounted,: a

and a lug on said strap. bendable within said' strap aperturejtliroug'hamounting' bracket aperture whereby good contact is'made; between 'said strap and saidibi'acket when 1 a mounting screw is ,ttiglit'e'ned through said bracket aperture. V

3. The combination of one or'rnore grounding inter- References Cited in the file of this patent v UNITED-STATES PATENTSv 

1. A GROUNDING INTERCHANGEABLE OUTLET COMPRISING A MOLDED HOUSING INTEGRALLY PARTITIONED ON THE INTERIOR TO DIVIDE SAID HOUSING INTO TWO LINE CONTACT COMPARTMENTS AND ONE GROUNDING CONTACT COMPARTMENT, CONTACTS POSITIONED IN SAID LINE CONTACT COMPARTMENTS, MEANS FOR MAKING LINE CONNECTIONS TO SAID LINE CONTACTS, A GROUNDING CONTACT POSITIONED IN SAID GROUNDING CONTACT COMPARTMENT, A CONDUCTING STRAP CONNECTED TO SAID GROUNDING CONTACT AND EXTENDING EXTERIORLY OF THE HOUSING, AN APERTURE IN SAID STRAP POSITIONED TO BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH A MOUNTING BRACKET MOUNTING APERTURE WHEN SAID OUTLET IS MOUNTED ON SAID BRACKET, A LUG ON SAID STRAP FOR EXTENDING THROUGH A BRACKET MOUNTING APERTURE, AND A MOLDED COVER FOR SAID HOUSING, SAID COVER DEFINING APERTURES FOR PASSING OF CONTACT PRONGS. 